The Last Thing God Wants

"Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, 'Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.' " - Matthew 25:41

The last thing God wants is for anyone to go to hell. That is why Jesus spoke of it in detail. That is why He warned us about it. And that is why He did everything He could do so that we would not have to be separated from Him for all eternity. Jesus Christ experienced hell on earth so that we would not have to experience it for eternity.

Jesus was forsaken so that we might be forgiven. Jesus entered the darkness so that we might walk in the light. That was the mission of His life. And on the cross, He bore our sin. The cross stands as a reminder that a hellish existence is not the only option for people. It doesn't have to be this way. We can turn around. We can change our eternal address. The gospel is a universal declaration that hell is not God's desire for anyone. Jesus did not say that hell was prepared for people; He said that it was prepared for the devil and his demons (see Matthew 25:41).

If you want to reject the offer of God, if you want to live in your sin and end up in hell in that final day, then you will have no one to blame but yourself. God doesn't want you to go there. But you have a free will. And to get to hell, you will have to effectively step over Jesus because He is blocking the way.

Jesus said, "You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it" (Matthew 7:13–14).